melodiesofeternity | [Closed] Happy (Belated) Birthday

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[Closed] Happy (Belated) Birthday

Who: Naoto Shirogane and Kanji Tatsumi
When: January 23rd
Where: Sparks Golsaucia
What: It's Kanji's birthday. Why not go to an amusement park to celebrate... at least, that's what one normally wants, right?
Warnings/Notes: Dorks on a date

It's hard to keep their destination a surprise between the tickets, the flight, and approaching the main entrance of PuPuLand, but it can start out as a semi-secret. Due to their adventures into the Library, it just had to be pushed back a few days...

... She hoped he still liked it - the trip and his present later - even if it was belated.

"Where would you like to start?"

It was only the two of them going about the park despite weighing the options of a party with more people. In the end, this would be them on a date... first date? Yes, that sounded right.

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The most juvenile, Naoto. He was concerned about something the utmost in juvenile. Kanji needed an extra moment to sort of prep himself, mostly because seeing it up close did remind him that there were no 'safe' spots.

Wait, they were DATING, why was he as concerned as he was!? Couples sh-shared food all the time! Ahh, he should share his lunch during a trip sometime. Right. Okay. Right. Let's do it. Easy does it.

He stooped and had a bite, crepe n' berries. Briefly, he had to wonder if he'd find some way to be smoother... like Senpai, maybe. Kanji knew Souji'd have no problem on dates- shit, he was popular enough- so why couldn't he?

"That's really good! Makes me realize how, uh, sweet mine is." Would his love for sweets be a problem if he kissed her? Would he taste okay? Does a kiss have a flavor?

Quickly, he masked his face with the last remnants of his own crepe. Stop THINKING about that shit!

Naoto had to wonder just what about sharing food was complicating this and delaying his decision... and action. Honestly, she was curious what went on in his mind sometimes. A few more seconds and he finally moved, taking a bite and... it looked like he was thinking again.

Processing? Mind wandering?

"Yes. Though, it's all just preference in the end." And she just liked things a little less sweet. Kanji back to his crepe, Naoto resumed nibbling on hers, slowly getting to the end.

"R-right." Maybe he should cut down on the sweets. He's a year older and all, and it probably wouldn't be too long before his metabolism would start slowing down. Ugh...

He shoved down the rest of his crepe and pitched the wrapper into a bin. He had his protein and sugar! He was ready for anything!

"Anyway, how 'bout games? Maybe I'll win ya a bear or-" He looked. Brightened.

"That ridiculously cute dog!" Look at him. Look at him. All soft and fluffy and gigantic in plush form. All he needed to do was win that game.

He was gonna win that goddamn doggo.

Still a little more of her crepe left. She must really eat like a bird... she doesn't meant to, but she did like to take her time and savor a little more. Also, avoid risking upsetting her stomach.

Games? Oh, game booths... She wasn't really interested in the bear, but when he pointed out the dog, her head raised a little in interest.

"... If you want to try."

"Hell yeah! I'm gonna try!" He crowed, and couldn't help squinting a little bit to see the rules of the attached game: He needed to throw knives to hit the target.

He was suddenly reminded of the ninja guild, and his complete and utter failure to stick the knives into the canvas.

"I'm gonna try," he repeated, to clear those thoughts from his mind. Three knives, point-based target system. He needed to earn a certain number of points to earn the more complicated prizes.

His march to the stand was proud. He'd heard games were rigged, but how could you rig knife throwing, right? The targets didn't look like rubber, neither...

Nodding, she turned and looked at the rules herself. Throwing knives, huh? Too bath neither of them had the Ninja asterisk, but that would be cheating.

Glancing up at Kanji's almost bitter words, she said nothing on it, approaching the booth with him and making sure to take everything in.

Hey, he might be trying for the dog for her, but she could also do the same for him. However, these systems usually were rigged in favor of earning money so what would be the catch to this game.

He slapped down some cash, and the lalafell was happy to accept the money and hand over the three knives. He explained the rules in a tone that blended show with boredom, all while casually checking the validity of the currency and pocketing it.

Kanji took up the blades and fought to remember what Makoto discussed with him so long ago. The blade raised, he squared his stance...

"RRRRRAAAAAAAHHHH-" And promptly pitched the fucking thing clear across the way, enough that the lalafell's face paled.

The blade actually stuck. Length-wise. But something was odd about the way the first two inches of the blade didn't so much as make a mark in the canvas...

Looking between the Lalafell and Kanji, Naoto kept quiet and waited for the game to begin. Well, 'game'. They'd see about the reward following this round.

... True to Kanji's nature, there went the first blade. Immediately, her eyes thinned as she examined how the blade stuck - or, how it hadn't exactly marked the canvas.

She didn't say anything... yet.

"Oh, c'mon, that was straight on! Ah, what'd she tell me before again...?" A spin? Give it a spin? She managed to count how many times it spun before it'd hit the surface, which would allow her to get the knife to sink into the surface.

He readied the second blade, stuck his tongue to a lip corner in concentration, and put his upper body into hurling the second. Was he trying to hit a target or kill a behemoth?

Thunk... In it stuck. But the first knife was rattled by the impact of the second, and fell free. The lalafell clicked his tongue in dismay.

"They have to stay in~ One shot left! Or, you can get three more knives."

At this rate, acting like he was killing a behemoth might be the way to go. As expected, the first blade came out, not really stuck fast to the surface, but considering the surface it was striking, was that a surprise.

Further narrowed eyes shifted over to the lalafell and held.

"Last one!" He picked it up. He had to hit the center. Arm up, blade at the ready, and the lalafell put a hand to his mouth to give a yawn...

It thunked against the center... then slipped through the hollowed out section to the other side.

"Damn... too bad, kiddo."

"Wha- No! Bullshit! There's nothin' to stick into!"

"Rules are rules. You didn't earn enough points to qualify for a prize. Leave empty-handed or buy more knives."

"... Do you want to try again, Kanji-kun?"

If this game runner wanted to play unfairly, Naoto could see them playing unfairly as well if only for this moment. She would pretend in the meantime to do something else on her iMog slate... that wasn't shifting her job from Gunslinger to Magitek. Not at all...

"I ain't a quitter! Another game!" He slapped down the gil, and the lalafell looked pleased as punch. Another sucker. The ones with their girlfriends or boyfriends were easy: They always had something to prove, and this idiot was no better.

"That's more like it! Three more for you, here we are."

When the knives came, Naoto picked one up for an inspection. Kanji could throw his first... meanwhile, she would watch the one in her hand change into a small gunblade and further watched the blade turn faintly light blue.

The center target would be fine, right?

The lalafell didn't seem to care that Naoto joined in the game. The taller guy would just make an ass out of himself with fewer shots.

"This is the one! RRRAAHH-" He kicked back, and gave his own knife a hell of a spin. It hit by the flat and bounced away.

"I understand it's a knife and a target, kid, but that doesn't mean you need to try and murder it!"

Well, that was Kanji's throw.

Raising her knife next, Naoto took aim at the board. Maybe not how the weapon was intended to be used while using this asterisk, but it helped her aim.

And with the blade coming in contact with the surface, the ice helped it stick.

The lalafell watched the knife fly, and masked a yawn with the palm of his hand. The knife stuck, and he was ready to speak with Kanji about another three shots. That'd just fall through in a moment...

"Last shot, but it doesn't have to be your last game! Three more knives, you know the price."

Kanji snorted, and pitched the last knife, jaw set. With a thunk, the blade sank by the tip, then began to dip by its handle that was a mite too heavy.

"Alright, let's see... huh?" The knife that was dead center had stuck fast. It was stuck. Stuck.

"How did y- ... What did you do??" The vendor pointed an accusatory finger at Naoto, eyes sharp with suspicion.

"Hell yeah, Naoto! That looks like a knife stayin' in to me. That's a winner!"

"I sense foul play! That- that won't count! I won't allow it!"

Staring back at the vendor, Naoto obviously wasn't going to say anything on the 'how'... because him asking 'how' that worked just confirmed his own foul.

"If you have an issue in 'how' my knife remained, you could request for some assistance determining foul play. However, I'll have to ask similarly how come none of my boyfriend's knives stuck to the board. In the same vein of thought, my knife stuck to the bulls-eye; therefore, I won a prize. I guess I'll have to ask for security since you are withholding..."

And before he might try framing this against them, Naoto raised her slate, took a picture of the winning shot, and pocketed it.

Kanji couldn't help looking smug. Here came the Shirogane pain, the rapid fire! He didn't catch on to the way the knife looked or that faint edge of ice magic, but the knife was built to never stick for long and make the money fall from his pocket. Or worse, hers! She found a way, and he was going to figure out how later. For now? He didn't give a shiiiiit.

His spine shot upright amid the rapid fire, because he could have sworn he'd heard a 'b-word'. In- in truth he was the b-word, but... h-hearing it from her was enough to have him snatch up the front of his hoodie and cover his mouth and nose to hide the deepening color. Did she practice in front of a mirror, too!?

"W-well, his throws were a mess! There's finesse in throwing knives, not whatever the void that big ape was getting at, nearly putting someone's eyes out!" But the chatty guy in the hat was pulling up the iMog and taking a picture.

Short-stack was also bringing up security. And he may have managed to dodge rent payments for his spot for the better part of three months now.

"F-f-fine! Fine, alright!? I'll let it slide just this once! You hit the bullseye, so you get a bullseye prize! Pick the one you want and get out of here before I change my mind!"

"Glad we could reach this compromise... One of the dogs if you'll continue to be so kind."

And she kept watch on the lalafell, a small tick in the corner at that 'big ape' comment. Today was Kanji's birthday... and any further comments like that still might have security coming to this booth anyway for an inspection...

He grumbled big time, and after grabbing a handy hook, was able to get one of the big plush dogs down from their proud display high above. Right where anyone would see them, luring them in to play.

But the Lalafell had a grin. Some eyes were watching them. Someone had won a big prize, and that was sure to get more to come and drop down some big cash for multiple plays. So these idiots could have their stupid dog!

"Congratulations." The tone was indeed smarmy, and he even added a little bow. But the tone was very much a 'please leave' as well.

"Bad ass! I kinda regret turnin' back that Ninja Asterisk, but eh... screw it! I'm a better tank, anyway. Grats, Naoto. You earned that sucker!"

They would leave alright... but Naoto did not approve of that grin.

Accepting the dog, she looked up at Kanji.

"Hm... I suppose I did." She was still a little miffed at how it had to be earned. "Well, what would you like to do next?"

His heart almost connected with his mouth in requesting heading for the Petting Zoo portion, but he thought again of the chocobos in the stables, and of his own stretch of bad luck involving animals.

Instead, he pointed for that Ferris Wheel. They've eaten, and she had a prize, even if he wasn't the one to win it.

"Let's take you up."

"Hm... alright."

If the Ferris Wheel was next... but she hoped he didn't totally neglect everything he might want to do. Also, while they were walking, she would make them take a detour once out of sight of the booth and lalafell operator to speak to security.

Yeah, she just wouldn't let it go that easily.

They did seem to detour, but when she flagged down a towering male Zora dressed in the Sparks Golsaucia colors, Kanji rather understood. How could he not? Even on a date, she was still law enforcement.

The Zora, in kind, seemed exasperated about the report, but more over the fact that- surprise, surprise- it was one of the lalafell trying to pull the wool over the eyes. He thanked her for the note and set off to contact back-up to take a look at the knife-throwing game. It was dangerous enough as is to have sharp objects for use in something like a game...

The vendor's life was going to get infinitely worse by night's end.

Kanji chuckled after, arms folded.

"I didn't doubt ya, but I was wondering how soon you'd report that guy." He shook his head.

"I work at a weapons shop. I know dull knives when I see 'em. The handles were bullshit, too. No balance to 'em."

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